The robot and smoke crystal from earlier could certainly come in useful, even if only as a distraction technique to keep the guards otherwise occupied while the breakout takes place. Which may be in the next couple of weeks. A Viviana / Lilith double-act would be awesome! 😀

Viviana: With the right plan, it’s just a mission like any other.
Gradus: It’s not! One can’t plan for everything!
Viviana: I can.

*zoom out from Viviana, zoom out of the planet, out of solar system, out of the galaxy, and onto a massive starfield where a shadowy figure stands holding a copy of Muprhy and Finagle’s Guide on How to Dick with Humanity*

A little overconfident are we? XD I can tell something is going to go wrong. I find it funny that the leader or the Shadowdancers also seems to be the most happy-go-lucky and/or the most joyful member. Despite this, it doesn’t totally surprise me, since i would probably be similar if I led a group of some kind. I wouldn’t be so reckless though. XD

Why is there always an old man who tells the youngster “Don’t do it, it’s not worth it!” just before the adventure begins?

Old characters in fiction have this union, you see. And it is required for at least one of them to be the doomsayer in settings like these or all the old characters in fiction will go on a strike.

That, and the stories are usually about the people who live on. For all of them you probably have another 100x that died trying something that, truth be told, was probably reckless in the extreme. Those stories, however, aren’t the stuff that people tend to tell (excepting old people who just want to keep another young moron from dying!)

hmm, getting a very strong “need to validate myself’ vibe here, mingled with over confidence, or perhaps over confidence, and happy go lucky attitude to mask deeper, less pleasant feelings and self doubt?